Bit by bit, the nations of Europe have unwisely surrendered their sovereignty to a large – and largely unaccountable – European Union bureaucracy. That is bearing unhappy consequences.
In 2001, the Scandinavian nation of Denmark in Northern Europe joined an agreement that, in effect, opened its borders to passport-free travel from other nations in the EU.
But that has not worked out as Denmark hoped it would. The Danish government is facing a wave of “cross-border crime, illegal immigration and drug trafficking,” The Telegraph newspaper of London reported recently.
So, the Danes took reasonable steps to fight that crime. They reinstated border checks of those trying to enter Denmark from neighboring Germany and Sweden.
Unfortunately, Denmark is learning the high cost of giving up its right to set is own national policies. Other EU members have denounced Denmark for bringing back border checks. They believe Denmark is not cooperating enough with the effort to create a more integrated Europe.
And the European Commission – the executive branch of the European Union – has gone even further: It has declared Denmark’s restored border checks illegal. In other words, it says Denmark is forbidden to protect itself from criminal activity pouring across its borders.
There’s little or nothing Americans can do to help Denmark out of its predicament. But its dilemma shows us once again the high peril of giving up national sovereignty to an international bureaucracy. The United States should bear that in mind when we are pressured to sign onto various treaties or in any way to increase the power of irresponsible organizations such as the U.N.